YEP Says: Now is the time for action over killer motorists

NOW iS the time for action. The fact that a father, Army Major Richard Gilbey, is presenting a 15,700-name petition to Parliament calling for tougher action against those convicted of causing death by dangerous driving speaks for itself.

The Government announced in December it was to launch a consultation on introducing tougher new sentences, This comes after a Yorkshire Evening Post investigation revealed that not a single person had received the maximum sentence in the past 10 years.

Ministers hope the proposed move will see an increase in the punishments faced by those responsible for the most serious road offences.

Major Gilbey’s son James, 25, was killed when walking home in Leeds. Yet the two men responsible for his death were sentenced to just eight years in prison and they are expected to serve just four years.

He has been campaigning for months specifically calling for death by dangerous driving to be sentenced as manslaughter.

He says Government moves to toughen sentences is to be welcomed, but is calling for stricter guidelines to be placed within those new sentencing guidelines – so that those who commit the worst kind of crimes are handed the maximum sentence.

We have every sympathy with Major Gilbey and we believe he is right to call for stronger sentences.

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